Chapter 20
Content that had never been casually mentioned flowed from Han Seong Hyeon’s mouth. And with a confident tone at that. Seo Won unconsciously looked at Baek Rak. He didn’t know how he should react.
But it was Han Seong Hyeon, not Baek Rak, who provided the answer.
“Baek Rak told you not to say anything, right? I’m the one who told him to do that, so you don’t need to be wary.”
“What.”
Seo Won turned his head to Han Seong Hyeon again.
“Only the three of us know this fact. Yoon Seo Won, you’re a somewhat special Hunter.”
Baek Rak had never said such things to him. Only that he needed to become a Hunter and that the process wouldn’t be easy. But a special Hunter? An explanation was needed.
“This is the first I’m hearing of this.”
“Usually Hunters have signs from birth and awaken before age twenty. Han Seong Hyeon and Baek Rak belong to this category.”
Han Seong Hyeon pointed to himself and Baek Rak as he spoke. This time he pointed to Seo Won.
“But you’re different. You, including a few others, are born with the potential to become Hunters acquired later in life. We’ve been looking for people like that.”
“Because Hunters are rare?”
“Right, each one is a major asset. Hunters are absolutely necessary to protect people from Creatures.”
It was somewhat what he had expected. Creatures weren’t beings that ordinary people could handle.
Seo Won recalled when he first arrived here and was chased by Creatures. He could barely survive because Baek Rak saved him – without him, he wouldn’t be here now.
Perhaps Hunters were the only natural enemies of Creatures. He didn’t know if firearms would work, but even if they did, it would be difficult to secure supplies in quantity, so they couldn’t be used as the main force.
Then several questions arose. Seo Won asked Han Seong Hyeon.
“I understand that Hunters are important. I had roughly guessed that even before hearing the explanation. But then wouldn’t it be better to get along well with each other? This guy seemed to have no intention of that at all.”
Seo Won pointed at Baek Rak with his chin. That guy had pressured him to choose between staying alone or becoming a Hunter. He had also arbitrarily changed the content of the deal he himself proposed without proper explanation.
In the end, they fought and didn’t even exchange words the entire way here. What good could come from living like this? Seo Won couldn’t understand it at all.
“Hah…”
After hearing the explanation, Han Seong Hyeon let out a long sigh as if troubled. He ran his hand down his face and spoke to Baek Rak.
“Baek Rak, I told you not to do that.”
If even Han Seong Hyeon was pointing this out, it meant the problem was with Baek Rak, not him.
Though annoyed, if Baek Rak came to apologize, he was willing to improve their relationship. He glanced sideways at Baek Rak. No particular expression appeared on that smooth face.
Just staring intently at his face… What are you staring at? Seo Won glared back with force in his eyes. Then Baek Rak snorted and turned his head away.
Han Seong Hyeon’s words continued.
“What’s the point of being prickly with each other? Huh? Don’t be spiteful and try to get along. You’ll be living together from now on.”
Not liking something about those words, Baek Rak gave a hollow laugh. He leaned his body crookedly and said.
“It has nothing to do with me.”
“Baek Rak. Don’t be like that…”
“And Han Seong Hyeon, you’d better take it easy too.”
A blue light flickered in Baek Rak’s eyes, then slowly faded. When he finished what he had to say, Baek Rak got up and left without lingering.
Han Seong Hyeon let out a deep sigh.
“Sorry, he’s not usually like that… There was some trouble in the past.”
Han Seong Hyeon pleaded for understanding with a troubled expression. Even in this situation, he wanted to ask what had happened, but he held back. He didn’t feel like hearing about someone else’s personal affairs through another person. Besides, right now he didn’t want to try to understand that bad bastard either.
Seo Won shook his head saying it was fine.
“Let’s sort out Baek Rak’s situation slowly. Anyway, how much did you hear about becoming a Hunter?”
“…Up to the part about needing to awaken four more times.”
Han Seong Hyeon nodded.
“Actually, the reason I hoped you’d get along well with Baek Rak is because he’s the only one in our shelter who can awaken acquired Hunters.”
“Other people can’t do it?”
“Right. You can think of it as a special ability. Baek Rak is both a physical enhancement Hunter and a tracker. He can find people who can become Hunters and awaken them. The reason he could find you, Yoon Seo Won, was also because of Baek Rak’s ability.”
So Baek Rak’s appearance wasn’t coincidental after all. They say there are no coincidences in the world – Baek Rak had simply found someone who could become a Hunter from the beginning.
Nothing fits together like this. Seo Won felt somewhat hollow as his guesses all missed the mark.
“But are there other shelters besides this one?”
“I don’t know other regions in detail… but there are three major ones in Seoul. Our Yeongdeungpo Station, Seoul Station, and Gangnam Station. There are also groups with small numbers gathered together, but most of those are of poor quality.”
He already knew from hearing that there were dangerous groups. More than that, the fact that there were other shelters was quite useful information.
“Do they have people like Baek Rak there too?”
“…They do, but it’s meaningless for you, Yoon Seo Won. Since Baek Rak started it, Baek Rak has to finish it. Otherwise you can’t become a Hunter.”
The expectation that had quietly risen deflated at this disappointing news.
Was awakening as a Hunter something that had to be handled exclusively by the person who started it? If someone else could replace Baek Rak, he wouldn’t need to cling to that guy, but it seemed he was stuck with him.
“Keep this in mind too. Each shelter is completely independent. They don’t help each other unless there’s benefit for themselves. Rather, they’re wary of each other.”
“…Why?”
Weren’t Creatures the enemy of humans? It would be better if they helped each other, so he couldn’t understand why humans were wary of each other.
When Seo Won looked puzzled, Han Seong Hyeon readily provided an answer.
“Because each has something to protect. There are their people, we have our people. Everyone’s territory, family, and even food supplies. There are many enemies besides Creatures.”
300 years since the meteorites fell. During that time, people who survived in their own ways were overwhelmed just protecting those within their own fences. Not only Creatures, but also criminals running wild in a world where laws and order had disappeared – they were all enemies. The more this happened, the tighter groups bonded together, and they had no choice but to exclude outsiders.
It wasn’t easy for Yoon Seo Won, an outsider, to understand that long period of time. But he could vaguely sense it, so he nodded heavily.
A smile appeared on Han Seong Hyeon’s face.
“That doesn’t mean there are no outsiders at all. There are people our kids rescued while out or people who risked their lives to escape here. Though we’re wary for a while, things get better quickly with time, so don’t worry too much.”
Seo Won remembered the gazes poured on him when he arrived at the shelter. The countless eyes that rushed over and looked him up and down from head to toe contained a mixture of wariness and curiosity.
‘I think I was marked as a strange person earlier… Will things get better as I live here?’
Yu Sol’s reaction was quite shocking, so adapting to this place was the biggest challenge for now.
Still, should he be thankful that Han Seong Hyeon was favorable toward him, unlike Baek Rak? He was about to ask how he should live in this Yeongdeungpo Station Shelter when Han Seong Hyeon spoke first.
“Ah, right. Come to think of it, Baek Rak probably didn’t kindly explain things on the way here. You must be frustrated not knowing much?”
“…I was frustrated.”
There were more than a few times he felt like his stomach would burst. The information Baek Rak provided had the worst efficiency compared to the time spent with him. He would hint for him to stay quiet at every turn and only conveyed information within limits that wouldn’t bother him.
‘Thanks to that, I completely ruined my first impression with people.’
Seo Won shook his head slightly. Han Seong Hyeon, with pitying eyes as if he understood, suggested another method.
“There’s someone called Yu Sol in our shelter – I’ll ask her. Just being around will naturally help you learn about this place. She’ll answer well if you ask questions too.”
“Yu Sol? The girl with her hair tied up high?”
“You met her on the way? Ah… well, she’s not the type to stay still when Baek Rak returns.”
A small crack appeared on Seo Won’s face. Yu Sol would already have him marked as a strange person, and of all people…
“Yu Sol is a Hunter so she knows more than other people. It would be better for you to get information from a Hunter rather than ordinary people.”
“A Hunter? She looked young.”
“Usually people awaken between ages 17 and 20, but Yu Sol awakened at age ten. She’s fifteen now. Though young in age, you can think of her as the veteran of this place.”
In the original world, that would be an age busy studying and playing with friends. She would be under adult protection and it wouldn’t be enough to see only good things.
Seo Won couldn’t hide his uncomfortable feelings.
“Even so, isn’t she too young? To fight Creatures…”
Han Seong Hyeon stared intently at Seo Won, who looked uncomfortable. Then, seeming to think for a moment, he smiled broadly and said.
“I think I understand what kind of person you are a little.”
“What?”
“You lived in a peaceful place, didn’t you?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
